TDF: a shiny new thread for 2012

[jobob]

Wiggins might not have Team Sky's wholehearted (CG) support next year.

Following up on my own remark ...

NBCSports showed a graphic of the two second-place finishers who went on to win the Tour the following year: LeMond who initially supported Hinault, and Ullrich who initially supported Riis.

I wonder, if Froome did stay with Sky, it would be another Lemond-Hinaut situation?

From the Wikipedia entry about Greg LeMond:

[In 1985, LeMond] was brought across to La Vie Claire to ride in support of team captain Bernard Hinault who had regained his form and was attempting to win his fifth Tour. Hinault led through the early mountain stages, but suffered a crash and came into difficulty. At this point it was clear that LeMond was an elite rider capable of winning the Tour in his own right. However, the managers of his La Vie Claire team ordered the 24-year-old LeMond to ride in support of Hinault. [...] Hinault won the 1985 Tour, with LeMond finishing second, 1:42 behind. LeMond was clearly frustrated by the events, and later revealed that team management and his own coach Paul Koechli had misled him as to how far back Hinault had dropped during the crucial mountain stage. Regardless, he rode as the dutiful lieutenant, and his aid was crucial to enabling Hinault to gain his fifth Tour victory.

The following year in the 1986 Tour, LeMond was made co-leader of the La Vie Claire team alongside Hinault, with Hinault publicly promising to ride in support of LeMond to repay LeMond for the work he had done in 1985. What he did not say was that the help was contingent upon LeMond demonstrating that he was clearly the better rider. [...]

The rest of the story is here.

So maybe it would be best if Froome changes teams if he wants to fulfill his GC ambitions.

[jobob]

Oh and I predict no more Radioshack-Nissan next year. What a disaster that merger has become! It's a shame - they have some really good riders.

Rumors are already flying as to which teams are courting the Schlecks, Cancellara etc.

[pll]

So, I thought it was peculiar that Spanish riders get upset that someone catches their break away group. Today Valverde gesticulated at Nibali, as the latter joined the lead group after a descent. Nibali must not have been feeling good because he eventually shook hands with Valverde and sat up to wait for the peloton.

In stage 13, Luis León Sánchez was also upset when he was caught and passed by Wiggins leading Boasson Hagen. Since when is the peloton not supposed to catch a break away? Is that really how they want to win a stage?

[Veronica]

Nibali joined the breakaway group very early today. Since he was a GC contender Sky would have been forced to chase down the breakaway and Valverde would not have gotten the win. I think Nibali hadn't really planned to get away, but did because of the fog.


The only chance for some riders to win the stage is in the breakaway, so yeah, they are not happy when they get caught.

Veronica

[pll]

I get being upset. What I do not get is gesticulating and protesting (as Sánchez and Valverde did). It's the first race in which I see that.

[malkin]

Oh and I predict no more Radioshack-Nissan next year. What a disaster that merger has become! It's a shame - they have some really good riders.

RNT is a train wreck.

Curiouser and curiouser:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schl...or-coming-year

[pll]

RNT is a train wreck.

Curiouser and curiouser:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schl...or-coming-year

Bizarre.

[jobob]

Way to go, spectator. Take your lovely, very large dog to watch the tour go by and let the dog slip it's leash and take out a bunch of riders. Dumbass.

[jobob]

Ah, looks like Tommy V has the mountains classification pretty much wrapped up, he leads it by 11 points with only a few low category climbs left.

He's going to be awash in polka dots tomorrow. Helmet, socks, maybe shorts, possibly even bike. You read it here first.

Hee hee. Everything but the socks. Guess he needs to save something to add for Sunday's final stage.

[malkin]

I get being upset. What I do not get is gesticulating and protesting (as Sánchez and Valverde did). It's the first race in which I see that.

I think they were emphatic, anyway it worked. I mean they got their point across.

[jobob]

Boasson-Hagen is sometimes referred to as BoDog ....

Phil and Paul pointed out in the live broadcast today that this is the team's good-natured nickname for him.

[jobob]

I have one word for today's finish:

Jayyyyy-zus !!!!!

[pll]

Way to go, spectator. Take your lovely, very large dog to watch the tour go by and let the dog slip it's leash and take out a bunch of riders. Dumbass.

Yikes. Saw that. And also saw the very angry Philippe Gilbert, who shared his thoughts with the owners of the dog (picture here). Really negligent of them not to keep the dog on a leash as the race approached.

[Cynedra]

Way to go, spectator. Take your lovely, very large dog to watch the tour go by and let the dog slip it's leash and take out a bunch of riders. Dumbass.

That dog looked big enough to be a bear. And awesome ending.

[ny biker]

From David Millar on twitter:

"Challenged roomie @dzabriskie to a race-off in the TT tomorrow. Loser has to publicly proclaim inferiority to other in said discipline."

So, that's one more competition to watch...